In various military, paramilitary, or civil emergency environments, there are certain applications that require aerial response capabilities. For example, in a rescue at sea environment, aerial sensing, targeting, detection and communication capability can aid persons in peril, either directly or by aiding rescuers. In particular, time sensitive emergency operations require highly accurate, aerial sensing and data transmission, preferably delivered by highly mobile, man-portable, GPS-referenced, flexible aerial platforms capable of rapidly launching various payloads and sensors, and being readily adaptable to changes in mission objectives and payload requirements.
In related applications, surveillance capabilities which are essential to policing or peace-keeping, but not generally available to the average peace officer or foot soldier, would include logistical or transit route survey, damage assessment, targeting, threat, and weather analysis. Currently, the results of aerial surveillance and intelligence functions in these area are typically disseminated through a long chain of intelligence gathering entities which delay the process to such an extent that the information is often obsolete by the time tactical units receive it.
One method of providing aerial sensing and data communications in hostile or emergency environments is by use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Currently small UAVs are being used by various governments to achieve some of the benefits of such a vehicle, primarily in military and paramilitary operations. Among these systems are the Thompson-CSF Epervier, the AeroVironment FQM-151 A Pointer, the BAI Javelin, and the BAI BQM-147A Exdrone. Other similar vehicles include the U.S. Navy's Improved Tactical Air Launched Decoy (ITALD), or the U.S. Air Force's Miniature Air Launched Decoys (MALD). As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,006, issued May 12, 1992 to Palmer, various air deployed decoys with sophisticated electronics do exist. But decoys of this type are typically costly, and of such unwieldy size such that they occupy an external aircraft hardpoint normally used for munitions or sensors. Additionally, such decoys necessitate costly airframe modifications to mount special launching mechanisms. While otherwise successful in many respects, these vehicles are also somewhat limited in various operating parameters, including limited range, speed, observability, payload, mission modularity, portability and telemetry. Also the cost of such systems is generally prohibitive, since the vehicles must often of necessity be expendable.
One of the most important applications for UAVs is the area of search and rescue operations. Often, climactic conditions are such that rescuers are prevented from reaching the persons in peril. In many civil response scenarios rescuers are hampered in their rescue efforts by natural forces such as high winds, waves, and fires, or consequences of natural disasters such as broken gas lines, severed communications, and flood or earthquake damage. However, a UAV with suitable payload packages could detect the persons in peril, and effect delivery of rescue equipment or other life-saving items. Although helicopters may be available in these situations, they are usually overtasked doing medivac missions and often cannot respond to the flood of tactical damage assessment issues which must be addressed.
In battlefield and civilian situations where the unseen presence of toxic gases or biological warfare components can prove lethal, a rapidly configured and deployed aerial sampling and detection system could enable proper and effective evacuation efforts, thereby saving many lives. In non-critical research applications, controlled atmospheric/environmental sampling on a regular basis could yield geo-referenced data of a specific column of air space. Additionally, a UAV would be particularly useful under severe atmospheric conditions such as tornadoes or hurricanes requiring direct sampling to yield accurate empirical data without placing climatological researchers at risk.
Important design considerations for a preferred UAV relate to precise micro GPS-inertial navigation systems, uninterruptible telemetry, undetectable telemetry, fully autonomous mission programming, micro antenna assemblies, improved satellite relay techniques, and rapidly installed miniature sensors, weapons, and other payload assemblies. However, existing UAVs fall short of being totally acceptable in one or all of the categories listed. In addition, current UAV products in the smaller aircraft range do not incorporate a self-contained ballistic tube launch mechanism which enables the vehicle to be launched and controlled from multiple launch platforms by a single individual.
There are sonotube compatible inflated aeronautical type products in existence, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,908, issued Jan. 30, 1995 to Greenhalgh, which discloses a sonotube launched, inflatable membraneous wing. The Greenhalgh wing acts as a steerable glider ejected from the sonotube canister after leaving the aircraft. However, this design is not capable of powered flight, and therefore its inherent range, speed, maximum altitude, flight controls, accessories, and sensor payload carrying capabilities are less than ideal for many operations.
In general, existing UAVs are manpower intensive to launch and control, are of unwieldy size or weight for man portable applications, and do not permit ready field alterations of vehicle sensor or payload systems. Additionally, in general, existing UAVs are complex, costly, have severely limited range, and altitude. Further, existing UAVs generally lack the level of autonomy for flexible, dynamic vehicle control in response to various inputs and sensor data.
Further, no lightweight UAV currently available employs a uniform deployment method which enables launch of the vehicle from aircraft, ships, and submarines without substantial modification to the respective platforms, such as aircraft fuselages, ship hulls, pressure vessels and the like.
Additionally, existing UAVs lack acceptable subsurface launch capability. Particularly important for subsurface launch capability is the ability to use data burst or spread spectrum telemetric communications that would not disclose the location of a submersible launch station while still remaining sonotube compatible. For example, although the U.S. Navy's Amber torpedo tube launched UAV was capable of achieving a submerged launch and RF telemetry capability, the vehicle was not miniature, expendable, or man portable, and did not possess uniform launch standardization or modularity within a sonotube format.
Accordingly, there is a continuing unaddressed sonotube compatible UAV capable of undertaking high speed, low speed, low altitude, and/or high altitude missions within the aforementioned military, paramilitary, and emergency response scenarios.
Further, there is need for a miniature, man portable, air, land, and sea launched UAV capable of autonomous or remote launch and flight control.
Additionally, there is a need for a modular, field configurable UAV capable of a wide range of mission-specific launch, flight, and payload requirements.